The Talk
by Jupert Calendiles
Summary: The ultimate talk Han and Leia have never had, in neither the books nor in any fanfic I've ever read. My take on COPL.
1. Chapter 1

**THE TALK **

Leia walked into her apartment. The first thing she saw was Han waiting for her with a black packed bag on the coffee table. The smile vanished from her face.

"What's going on?" She said. Her words were barely audible under the lump that was building in her throat and she started to shake slightly because of the increase in her heart rate.

He looked up at her. His gaze was indifferent and sad. Looking back to large window of HER 247th floor apartment, he said with slight hesitation, "I'm leaving you." He then looked down at the floor.

Tears found their way to the surface of her eyes. "What?" Her breathing started to become inconsistent, she had to pay attention to it. "Why? You-you can't leave."

He looked up at her. All of the hatred that he had harboured for her was escaping him and he couldn't control it. He resisted the temptation to scream in her face, knowing it would hurt her more if he said this calmly.

"Yes I can. And I'm going to." He stood up. It was his turn to assert himself.

"Why?" She whispered, barely audible.

"Why? How can you even ask that question? Oh, I don't know, let's talk about how you every nearly left me to marry another man. Let's talk about it."

In a low whisper, "I said I'm sorry."

"No, you didn't. Isn't that interesting? I leave on a mission for five months, a mission for your cause by the way, which I joined to be with you. I come home and find you've fallen in love for some guy who you'd only just met. You didn't talk to me, or kiss me. You were rude, you didn't defend our relationship, something that I thought you were wholeheartedly in because I seem to recall you risking your life and everything you own to rescue me from Jabba the Hut. You kiss him in front of me. I put my life on the line to project you and you deny that you're in love with me. And I don't even get an apology."

"But I am in love with you! We're back together aren't we?"

"I wasn't even aware we'd broken up. Oh and how did we get back together, that's right, when your prince went and found himself someone else."

"No..."

"Did it hurt when he left?"

"I don't..."

"So I'm just a consolation prize?"

"No you're not..."

"Sure feels that way. What happened to you? How could you do this to us, Leia?" Tears started forming in his own eyes. "How could take everything that we meant to each other, everything we've been through and throw it away? Throw it for the next hot guy you see? What was going through your head?"

"I don't know."

"So you can't give me anything now?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry Han but I don't know what was going through my head at the time. I'm sorry that I cheated on you, I'm sorry that I neglected you, I'm sorry. But please don't do this. Don't leave me, I need you."

She walks up to him and tries to put her arms around his neck but he backs away.

"What about when I needed you? Mmmm? Do you know the amount of hate I get every day from the senior leader of the Rebellion, hell not just them, people I don't even know, people from different planets that don't think I'm good enough for you. But I didn't care because you never made me feel like that. I really loved you. And you... made me feel really loved in return but I don't think that's true anymore and I..." He found himself lost for words, the weight of her betrayal slowing his mental processing and causing tears to run down his face.

Leia holds her tongue, deciding it would be better if she didn't say anything. Instead she lunges towards him, grabs his face in her hands and pulls his lips to meet her own. Kissing him with every fibre of her being, everything she had to make him feel her love. In her head, she was screaming that she loved him, that she didn't want him to leave and that she'd be forever broken if he did. Han melted into her kiss, seduced by her touch and all previous emotions were forgotten and replaced by love and lust, as was always the case with them. Despite what she had put him through, in his heart of hearts, he still loved her with a burning passion. And he was somewhat repulsed at himself for it.

She wasnted to talk all of her clothes off and show him just how much she loved him but a bigger part of her just wanted to hold him. She broke the kiss to caress the side of his neck with her lips as her right hand picked at the buttons of his shirt, her left arm securely around his shoulders.

"I love you so much, Han." She whispered in his ear and she meant it. Their foreheads came together as han whispered:

"I can't believe that right now, Leia. Everything you said, I can't forget it."

Leia was starting to feel dizzy.

"I think it's best if I just go home."

"Han wait—" were Leia's last words before she fainted in Han's arms.

"Leia!"


	2. Chapter 2

**THE TALK – CHAPTER TWO**

"What happened to her?" Riekeen asked the doctor from outside Leia's hospital room. She'd been unconscious for nearly four hours now but she was alive and there was no indication that that would change.

The doctor turns the chart and report to Riekeen, allowing him to read it for himself.

She says "Do you wanna tell him or shall I?"

Han was still trying to process everything that had just happened. He was leaving, there was shouting, then a kiss, a kiss from Leia and then suddenly he was in the hospital. Though it wasn't him that required medical attention – it was Leia. What happened? The monitor next to the bed showed her breathing to be steady and normal. He didn't know what to do. So he just held her hand, hoping somehow it might promote some vitality and she may wake up. Riekeen entered slowly.

"Solo."

"Riekeen. " He whispered. "So did you talk to the doctor?"

He looked down to the floor for a minute, not knowing how to form the words. "Yes, she told me everything. I don't quite know how to say this Han..."

Now extremely worried, "What are you talking about, what's wrong with her?"

"The tox-screen report shows that Leia has been drugged for quite some time."

"Drugged? With what?"

"A drug called sodium ranthol. It's commonly used by the Empire as a ... "

"As a what?"

He paused for a moment. "As a compliance drug."

It took a minute for Han to process his words. "A compliance d-drug? You mean someone drugged her in order to get her to do something they wanted?"

"I'm afraid so. Something that she would not have done in her right mind. The report shows that the first dose was administered about a month ago. The last was earlier today."

There was a long moment of silence as the elephant in the room slowly emerged. Neither one of them wanted to acknowledge the weight of this new information. Gathering his bearings, Han said:

"What exactly are we saying here, Riekeen?"

"I think you know Han."

"Someone drugged Leia so she'd marry Isolder."

"I afraid it looks that way."

He was stunned, they both were. Although they both knew how politics can be such a cut-throat career that involved plenty of corruption , the fact that someone went to great lengths to drug Leia in order to marry her, it disgusted the both of them.

"It was Mothma." Said Han.

"What makes you so sure?"

Han looked up at him, initial shock had now turned to anger.

"She wanted Leia to marry Isolder more than anyone," he said through gritted teeth. "She's always hated me and more so when Leia and I got together. You said yourself, Leia'd been drugged for a month. The Hapans didn't arrive here until two weeks ago. It would have to have been a member of the Alliance, someone who was in close contact with her."

Riekeen thought for a moment. Han did have a point. Leia and Mon Mothma were very close and worked closely together. And Mothma had openly expressed how much she didn't like the two of them together. Still, it was hard to think that someone he'd known for years could have been so calculating against Leia, especially as she was so well loved by the Organa family.

"Well, until we find out who the culprit is, I don't think you should publically say this Han."

"Why not? I want her to know the weight of what she's done, I want to publically humiliate her."

"Calm down, Han." Riekeen said, sitting opposite him in the chair on the other side of Leia's bed. "The truth will always find its way to us. But for now," turning to Leia and taking her other hand "Let's just concentrate on Leia's recovery."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Authors Note: Hello everyone! Thank you to everyone that has read and reviewed, sorry it's taken me up till now to include an author's note. I hope you all like my retelling of the aftermath of COPL. I'm sure you can all agree that this is a much better explanation. I also hope you like what I'm doing with this whole "who poisoned Leia" thing. I want to turn this into a full blown Poirot-esque thing but I won't if too many of you disagree with it. Leave a review or send me a message about what you think I should do. Thanks very much and enjoy! :)**_

"I feel like an idiot Chewie." Han said, sitting with his furry companion outside the hospital. The news hadn't spread yet about what had happened to Princess Leia and they were all glad. Riekeen and han decided not to make it public until the culprit was found. Leia still hadn't awoken but the doctor said she was making a great recovery for someone who'd been spiked for the last month with Empire drugs.

***There's no way you could have known anything was up cub.* **

"I shouldn't have been so hard on her, I..." Han starts but realising he can't find the words, he stops himself, looks at the ground in front of him and lights his second cigarette that afternoon.

***Would you cut that out?* **

"It's the only thing keeping me from ripping someone's head off!" He pauses for a moment. "I'm sorry, I just feel so... angry. You know, I was actually gonna leave without telling her. I was there thinking about whether or not I should leave a note and what it should say when she came home earlier than I'd expected. If I had left then I never would've known what really happened to her and I would've lost her completely."

***And you can forgive everything that she put you through know?***

"She wasn't sober when any of it happened Chewie, it wasn't her fault."

***Have you called Luke yet?* **Chewie asks. Han just shakes his head.

***Why not?* **

"I guess I never really thought about it."

***Well I'm more than confident that he'd want to know."**

"Yeah you're right." He says, reaching to take his datapad out of his right trouser pocket.

"Han!" Riekeen calls from behind them. "Han, she's awake. She's awake and she's asking for you."

Han threw his cigarette on the floor and shoved his datapad to Chewie. "Call Luke for me!" he shouted as he ran to Leia's room.

When he got there, Leia was sitting on the edge of her bed, her legs hanging over the side, waiting for him. Judging by her position, it looked as if she'd tried to get out of bed.

Han burst into the room. It felt like the first time he was really looking at her in so long. She looked at him. There was so much in her look – there was sorrow and love and a silent begging for forgiveness. She was back. Without thinking, he threw his arms around her and drew her into a tight hug.

"I've missed you." He whispered.

Leia start gently weeping into his shirt.

"Han, I'm sorry." She said. "I don't understand what's happened but I'm so sorry. Please don't leave me."

He let out a sigh, realising that neither Riekeen nor the doctor hadn't told her what had really happened to her. He wondered how he should break it to her.

"Han." She said, moving her head from his chest to face him and cupping his cheeks. "Han, I love you. I love you so much, I always have. I don't understand what happened to me. I knew what was going on but I was unable to act or say how I really felt about anything. Almost like I was trapped in my own body and I wasn't in control of any of the things that I did or said.

"Wait so you were, conscious the whole time?" Han asked randomly.

"Um... yeah I guess so. Look, I know that it sounds really stupid and incredibly idiotic but it's the truth. I don't blame you for wanting our relationship to end but I can't let you go, Han, it would break my heart."

Han knew he should have interjected earlier but it was nice to hear her say that she loved him. It'd had been too long since she done. Taking her hands in his, he said:

"Leia, it's okay. You don't need to apologise, you-

"Yes, I do, Han."

"No, you don't, just listen to me. They've done some tests here and found a lot of sodium ranthol in your system."

"The Imperial compliance drug?"

Han didn't know why it surprised him that he knew that. "Yeah. It would appear that someone has been drugging you, Leia." Each word came out slower than the last. He watched her intently as she processed the information, understanding exactly what had happened and why.

"Oh my Gods." She said. "But you know that I love you, Han, and I wouldn't have done any of those things if-

He cut her off by kissing her. Their kisses always had the power to heal each other and this time was no exception. Their kisses held within them unspoken promises and in this kiss, she took a vow to never let anything penetration their love again.

"I love you so much, Han." She whispered, breaking the kiss so she could look into his eyes.

"Leia!"

Han turned around to see Luke in the doorway. He ran up to her and embraced her as Han moved to the side, allowing them some room. Although he loved Luke, it was quite hurtful to see him now. Instead of being the friend that Han had expected him to be, Luke was not on his side during the whole Isolder debacle, in fact, he was much the opposite. Han didn't know what he'd done to make Luke suddenly act so cold towards him and he didn't know what to expect from him now. What he wanted was an apology but for some reason, he didn't feel like he was going to get one.

Luke and Leia talking gave Han the opportunity to think for a bit. If Luke was a man of the Force as he claimed to be, surely he would have been able to sense if his twin sister was spiked with such a dangerous drug.

"How you doing, Han?" Luke asked having sat down on the bed besides Leia.

Han produced a fake smile. "Just fine, Luke, how are you?"

"Been worried about my little sister." He said, looking at her lovingly and pulling her into another hug.

It was at that moment that Riekeen appeared. He, Leia and a Luke talked for a little bit until Han asked if he could talk to him out in the hall.

"What's the matter, Han?" Riekeen asked when they were alone.

"Riekeen, have you thought anymore about who could have drugged Leia?"

"Han, how many times have I told you to call me Carlist. And yes but I was pretty much on board with your Mothma idea. Why, do you have some new information?

"No, but – well I know this is gonna sound pretty implausible but," he started, lowering his voice, "Do you think that there is any possibility at all that Luke could have done it?"

Riekeen stared at him for almost a full minute. "Seriously? Just look at them, Han." Riekeen said, pointing to Luke and Leia, who could be seen talking to each other like they were best friends, listening to every word. "Do you honestly think he could have drugged his own sister? Why would he do that, you and him are friends? Plus, she was repeatedly drugged. Being as close as they are, even if he did it once, he would've eventually came to his senses. You can tell how much he loves Leia, Han, it couldn't have been Luke. What's this really about?"

"Well, Luke's kind of been a douche lately. I mean, he didn't stand by me during the whole Isolder thing; he tried to stop me going to Dathomire and right now he's barely said five words to me."

"Han he tried to stop you because you'd kidnapped his sister. Hell that's probably why he's a little reserved around you now."

"Doesn't explain his behaviour before I kidnapped her."

"Han, please. Leia's just woken up. Now I'm sure we'll find whomever did this but-

"No, I want answers now! You know what, this is too much to take in for one day, I can't be here anymore." Han said, before storming out.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Authors note: Hey guys. I know haven't updated in a long time but it's taken a while for me to come up with how I want the story to flow from there. I'm also really busy with school work so I have to manage writing with that. I won't be updating all week next week because I'll be in Wales but you can expect something in the near future. That being said, here's my next chapter, enjoy!**_

Leia found Han hours later in the main hold of the _Falcon_, sat with his knees to his chest on Chewie's massive chair, a soft blanket wrapped around him. She would have gone looking for him much sooner but the doctors had to run more tests on her. She wasn't even allowed to be out of the hospital but she didn't care. She just wanted to see him. To be with him. It hurt so much to look at him and think about all of the pain that she'd caused these past couple of weeks. She felt so guilty. Even though it wasn't her fault, she held herself partly responsible.

She found it so admirable that even after how cold she acted to him, he still had the iron nerve to kidnap her and "make her fall in love with him". It was a huge testament to his love for her. Despite telling him she didn't love him (she actually told him that!) inside she was begging Han to take her away so they could escape everything and live together for the rest of their lives.

"Hey." She said, approaching him.

"Hey." He replied, shifting to an upright position and looking up at her. "How are you, did the hospital discharge you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She lied, sitting next to him. He wraps the blanket and his arms over her and they sit there for a moment, enjoying each other's company.

"Han," Leia said, breaking the silence. "You do know that I love you, right?"

"Of course." He whispered, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"So, you won't leave me?"

"No. Never."

She turned around and kissed him hard on the mouth. An apologetic kiss that said a thousand words. Without having to think, they wrapped their arms around each other, their kiss healing all of the pain they had endured the past couple of weeks. Leia broke the kiss to plant smaller ones down his neck while hands started rubbing Han's lower back.

"Whoa, are you sure that you're well enough for that?" He asked, concerned.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." She said, smiling mischievously and taking his hand to lead him back to his cabin.

Han was in the kitchen, thinking of what breakfast he should cook him and Leia, when Luke appeared unexpectedly.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"Who?" Han turned around and asked, not bothering to say hello because he knew the gesture would go unnoticed.

"Where's Leia?" Luke said.

"She's here, she's asleep."

"I thought she'd be here. Wasn't enough that you kidnapped her from her home but now you had to take her out of the hospital too."

"No I didn't. Leia told me they discharged her?"

"Why would they discharge her? She's been drugged for months and then fainted."

Han thought for a moment.

"Why would you—you know what, never mind, I'm not in the mood to argue with you. I'm just here to take Leia back to the hospital and get out of your way."

Han thought this was as good a moment as any to ask Luke what he wanted to. "Luke, why are you being like this?"

"Why do you think? You kidnapped Leia, my twin sister, the only family I have left and you took some place against her will? Didn't you hear her? She doesn't love you and she doesn't want to marry you. And you still took her. My sister."

Han remained silent.

"Though I wouldn't expect you to understand what family means. You never had one."

Han looked up at Luke, stunned.

"Get off my ship."

"Not without my sister."

"Get the fuck off my ship Luke!"

Luke takes a step towards him, "Make me."

Without thinking, Han balls his fist and punches Luke straight in the face. Luke wails in pain, for Han's fist made direct contact with his nose, breaking it in two places and causing a gush of blood to pour itself down Luke's face. Luke was shocked and the shock only added to the pain. For some reason, he hadn't been able to anticipate the attack.

"Now get the fuck off my ship Luke!" Han says, pushing a weak and teary Luke down the _Falcon's _entrance ramp, locking it behind him and deleting Luke's hand print from the _Falcon's _memory so he'd never be allowed access. Han's head was reeling with explanations about what just happened, but he didn't want to comprehend any of them.

Leia had been awake listening Han and Luke's conversation. Frankly, she was disgusted at Luke's behaviour. He treated her like a baby. As she heard Han's footstep get closer to the door, she quickly dashed back into bed and pretended to be asleep.

Han entered the room and stood by the door for a moment. "How much did you hear?"

"All of it." She said, from under the covers. Resurfacing, she pushed the hair out of her face and look at him glumly. "He had no right to talk to you like that, Han."

Still at the door, "Did he?"

"No!" As she talks, Han approaches and sits down her the bed next to her. "Everything he said was cruel, you didn't deserve it."

"Were you discharged from the hospital yesterday?"

Leia pauses, not knowing what to say, "Ummmm..."

"I can't believe you. You could be really sick right now; you could faint again at time minute. After breakfast, I'm taking you back to the hospital. Why would you do something like that?"

She leans in, seductively, whispering, "I thought I made it clear why." And she kisses him, slipping her tongue into his mouth and pulling him to lie on top of her on the bed. He breaks the kiss to nuzzle her neck and collarbones, kissing her breasts under her nightshirt.

"No..." he whispered weakly, her hands in hair hypnotising him.

"No?"

"No." He confirms and lifts himself off her with all the power that he can, despite the fact that his desire for her was great.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"I can't. You should be in the hospital right now."

"Oh, Han, come on."

"No, you could be putting your health at risk; one of us has to be responsible."

"Well, I'd say not taking care of your girlfriend's needs is pretty irresponsible of you." She said, smiling naughtily at him.

"Leia... Stop it."

But Leia wasn't listening. Instead she proceeded in taking off her nightshirt and knickers. Han's blood pressure increased tenfold at the sight of Leia, his beautiful Leia lying completely naked on his bed, beckoning for him. It was a dream come true.

"Don't you wanna join me?" She asked, even though it was rhetorical.

"I..., I um..." taking another moment to drink in the sight of her. "Oh, what the hell." He said, bending over her and kissing her long and hard.

"You're a very bad girl." He whispered against her lips.

"I know."


	5. Chapter 5

Han stormed through the halls of the hospital, not really knowing where he was going, just following his nose. Then he ran Rieeken.

"Where is he?" he said.

"He's in there." Rieeken said, pointing to the window of a private room in the hospital. "The droid's just taking a sample of his blood to get tested."

"How long has he been out?"

"Oh, about two and a half hours. Looks like he got beaten up as well."

Han saw Luke, lying dully on his bed with a hospital gown and a bruise that started at his nose and spread to underneath his eyes.

"Oh," Han said sarcastically, "Wonder what happened there." He walks into the room.

"Han!" Luke cries out. "Han, I am so sorry said that. I have no idea what came over me. It just kind of came out, I couldn't control it."

"It's okay Luke." He said, taking a seat on the window sil.

"No, it's not okay." Luke protested as Rieeken and the medical droid enter.

"Master Skywalker," starts the medical droid. "We have analysed your blood and have found-"

"Let me guess," Han interrupts, "Sodium ranthol?"

The droid nods.

"You mean the stuff that Leia was drugged with. No, that can't be right. If someone were drugging me, I would have sensed it for sure. And as a matter of fact, so would Leia. Something's very wrong here."

"Oh don't worry Luke, it's not the first time someone's wanted us dead. And now that you mention it, I wasn't gonna say anything but I was more than surprised that you didn't block my attack earlier."

"You mean you're the one who broke his nose?" Rieeken asked, almost wondering why he was surprised.

"I-I don't know, I guess I just didn't see it coming." Luke stammered, trying to make sense of everything.

"I'm sure everything will become clear soon." Rieeken says, just as his comm link goes off. "Excuse me." He says and leaves the room. The droid also leaves.

"I really am sorry Han."

"Don't worry about it. Sorry about your nose."

"Yeah, you have a bloodthirsty left hook." Luke says jokingly. "I'm sorry that I didn't do more for you when the Hapans were here. I think back to the day Leia and I were discussing... her opinions and I just don't know why I didn't say that she should be with you." He turns away, choking back tears. "I can't forgive myself for making life so difficult for you Han."

Han holds back his own tears, contemplating Luke's words. He gets off the ledge to sit in the chair by Luke's bed.

"Well, I can forgive you."

"You shouldn't." Luke says, "I have no idea what is happening but I'll never turn on you like that again. You're like a brother to me, Han."

Han says nothing; he doesn't need to. He just smiles. The perpetrator of this witch-hunt against him was more powerful than he thought if they had managed to subdue Luke. Not to mention, they either had to be in both Luke and Leia's circle of acquaintances or they weren't working alone. This was tiring.

"Where's Leia?" Luke asked, breaking the silence.

"She's on the floor above; they're running some extra tests on her."

As if on cue, Leia walks into the hotel room.

"I just heard what happened. Luke, are you okay?" She asks as she gives her brother a hug.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replies. "Looks like you weren't the only person this guy drugged. Whoever they are."

"That reminds me," Han interrupted, "Do either of you have any clue who might have done this?"

Both Luke and Leia think for a moment.

"Well I would say Isolder," Leia started, "But it just sounds too obvious."

"Plus I was on Corascant when he arrived. Hey, this sounds weird and you're not gonna like it Leia but what about Mon Mothma?

"No way." Says Leia.

"She was my original suspect."

"But it's absurd. What would Mon Mothma gain for my marrying Isolder."

"Well," Han begins, having gone through a list of reasons several times over in his head. "Advancement in the Rebel Alliance. More money equals more funding. Not to mention, it would get me out of the picture indefinitely."

There is a slight pause before Leia speaks. "No, she won't do that to me. I've known her for a long time."

"Well, guys, whoever it was we need to find out soon." Luke says.

"Agreed." Says Han.


	6. Chapter 6

"_Leia, don't do this. I know you don't wanna marry him."_

"_Han, I can't not go through with this. The Alliance needs me, my people need a new home."_

"_Do you think they'll just take any culture you give them, a culture that was so radically different to their own?"_

"_I don't know but they'll have to get used to it. Han, I'm sorry. We both knew that this wasn't going to last very long."_

"_How could you say that? After all we've been for you, after all that we've done for each other?"_

"_Han, I think you should leave."_

"_Look me in the eye and tell him that one don't love me." _

_Leia takes a step closer, staring straight into his soul._

"_I don't love you." _

_Han breaks; is smashed like glass and is left as a pile of sand at Leia's feet. _

Han wakes up, drenched in his own sweat, his breathing rigid and uneven. He sits up, is about to walk to the bathroom when Leia's arms wrapped around his bare chest, stopping him.

"I was just going to-" He start to make an excuse but Leia stops him.

"No, stay here." She whispers, kissing his cheek and neck, rocking him into a more relaxed state. She knows that his dream involved her but she didn't want to ask him about it.

They sat there together, enjoying each other's warmth and love. "I love you, sweetheart." She whispers in his ear.

"Hey, Han?"

"Yeah?"

"When all of this had blown over, do you wanna take a vacation?"

He turns around to face her. "A vacation?"

"Yeah. I think that we could do with some time away from the Alliance. Just us."

"That sounds like an awesome idea. Where do you fancy going?"

"I don't mind, as long as you're there with me."

They kiss, their relationship rekindled forever.


	7. Chapter 7

"What am I doing here?" Han said, sat in a chair at a desk. Behind that desk sitting a potentially dangerous person, the person who may have perpetrated the last few months of hell that he had been through – Mon Mothma.

"Carlist told me about what happened to Leia. I'd like to express my deepest sympathies. She hasn't been to see me yet."

"Maybe she doesn't want to see you."

Mothma was a little throw. "Solo, I have been acquainted with the Princess Leia her whole life."

Han leaned forward. "Yes, but I know her more intimately than you do."

The tension was so great; Han could break it with a shot of his blaster. His blood pressure was increasing. This stand-off was growing rather childish, still, Mon Mothma and him never sat down and talked, just the two of them. Would they be discussing the context of their relationship? The notion was unsettling to Han.

"I will not have you speak that way about her. How dare you!"

"How dare I?" He was quickly losing his temper. "You may have everyone fooled with your good nature but you don't fool me. You've wanted to be rid of me from the moment you met me despite all I have done for the Rebellion. What better way to get me out of the picture than by practically turning Leia against me."

"Are you accusing me of poisoning the Princess?" Mothma shouting back and standing up.

"Yes I am!" Han said, standing also.

"How dare you! I love Leia as if she were my own daughter; I would never do such a thing. You're wrong – just like you're wrong for Leia."

There was a moment of silence. Han contemplated leaving but thought it would be more interesting to stay and see how this conversation develops so he sat back down.

"And how exactly am I wrong for Leia, Mothma?" He asked, looking up at her, challenging her.

Mothma was rendered momentarily confused.

"Let's have a civilised conversation, shall we?" he said, motioning for her to sit.

She sat down and took a minute to compose herself. "Well, for starters, the two of you are from completely different social backgrounds. She's an aristocrat. More than that, she's royalty and you're … common. She doesn't belong in that world. But she's just so infatuated with you. And that's a bad thing. She was raised always to do her duty, to do what's good for her people. And then you get yourself in your own trouble that has nothing to do with her yet she drops everything and runs to your aid."

It was like poison to Han's ear.

"Sounds like she was raised to die for what she loves."

"But that can't be you. That's petty, not the way of a leader. It's not the same, Solo."

"And here we are, on the same side, allies and yet arguing over something you just called 'petty'."

Mothma pondered for a moment as Han got up and walked to the door.

"You and I are the same, Mothma. We're both scarred."

"Scarred, Solo?"

"I lost family in the war too."


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN: I am so sorry that I haven't posted in so long but I have an update, yay! I plan to write one more chapter after this. Hope I've still got loyal readers. **_

The tense was palpable as Han, Leia, Luke, Chewie and Reikeen sat in the galley of the Millennium Falcon. Their aim for this assembly was the try to work out who poisoned Luke and Leia but no one had said anything for ten minutes.

"You know who could really give us some in sight right now?" asked Han, breaking the silence.

"Who?" asked Leia.

"That old Ben Kenobi. He had a smart head on his shoulders.

Luke pondered for a moment.

"You called?"

Everyone turned to see the ghost of the late Obi Wan Kenobi sitting in Chewie's large chair.

"Ben!" cried Luke. "You're here. Do you know what's been going on?"

"I'm afraid so, Luke. I would have come sooner but I was detained and I must apologies for that. I take you and Leia are well rested." Luke and Leia nod.

"Hold on a moment," said Riekeen in confusion. "Who is this?"

"This is Obi Wan Kenobi. He used to be a Jedi Knight. He taught our father."

"And I also failed." Obi Wan interjected looking down.

Throughout this entire exchange, Han stared at Obi Wan, perplexed. He was a ghost. And yet he was able to sit in a chair. And then an idea hit him.

"Say Ben," he called. "What kept ya?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You said you were detained. What stopped you from here and helping us out?"

"Well..."

"I'm sure you had your reasons," said Luke. "It's not as if you can come back to the surface of any planet, anytime you want, is it, Ben?"

"Well, actually it is Luke."

"Oh."

"I think our General Solo has an idea, Luke."

The room quickly turned its attention to Han, confused by what was going on.

"Oh, not an idea. Just a hunch. Hey, think fast!" Han shouted, throwing a wrench at Obi Wan who impressively caught it in mid air.

***Han, have some respect.* **says Chewie.

"Han, what was the purpose of doing that?" Leia asks. Han and Obi Wan share a weary glance at one another.

Force ghosts can have touch. They can sit down, catch things. They can have a physical impact on a planet. Am I right, Ben?" He old ghost looks down dejectedly and nods.

***So?***

"So they can pick things up. So they can move things around. So they can pour poison in people's drinks."

The mood changes. Grows darker as if they sun inside it had set and its now pitch black.

Han's eyes remain fixed on Obi Wan. "It was Anakin Skywalker that poisoned Luke and Leia. Wasn't it?" Everybody turns to look at Obi Wan in shock. "And you knew. Didn't you?"

Obi Wan looks up at Han, apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"Ben? Ben what-"

"I'm sorry, Luke, I wanted to help but-

"But what?" interrupts Leia, noticeably livid.

"Anakin never had the opportunity to be a father to you. There is a law that permits ghosts that are gifted with the force have some physical impact on the world, as Han put it, and other ghosts cannot interfere."

"Like unfinished business?" asks Reikeen.

"Something like that, yes. You two were his unfinished business so Anakin still retains some control. At the moment, he is corporeal.

An uncomfortable silence sets in. It felt strange. The culprit wasn't Isolder or Mon Mothma. It was an old enemy who had died. In a way, it almost felt anti-climatic.

"You're wrong." Says Leia.

"I beg your pardon?" Ben says, almost whispers.

"Anakin did have the opportunity to rise us. He just didn't take it. Instead he chose to murder children. Instead he chose to try and kill you. It doesn't make that he can still influence this world. In fact, it's dangerous. And where is he now? Are you not gonna show yourself, Anakin? You're a coward."

In a flash, the ghost of Anakin Skywalker appears. He looks sullen and worn. Leia approaches him, looking him square in the eyes, her jaw hard and her fists balled.

"You kill my mother; you destroy my home planet. You incase my lover in carbonite, you cut off my brothers hand and now, you poison me. I don't what he says," pointing at Luke, "You are no father of mine."

She leaves for Han's cabin. Luke adds, "I have nothing to say to you." Before walking off the Falcon and back to his apartment. Han stands and takes a look at the man who would have been Luke and Leia's father. All he says is, "Get off my ship." And with that, he and Obi Wan Kenobi leave.

"Well," says Riekeen, standing up, "I don't really know what to say."

"Me neither." says Han.

"I'll see you around, son." He replies before leaving.

***Some day huh?* **Says Chewie. He and Han softly chuckle.


End file.
